Please, Just Stay With Me
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: After winding up in a fight against a dangerous villain, Ochako struggles to take a gravely wounded Izuku to the U.A. (Now a two-shot) (Cross-Posted to AO3)
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING: RATED T FOR BLOOD AND INJURIES.**

 **Note: I am well aware of the two different spellings of Ochako's (or Ochaco's) name. Personally, I like the way "Ochako" looks, so I decided to use that, but I am familiar with the "anime" spelling of the name, Ochaco. If you guys know which one is actually "right" (if there _is_ a "right" one), please inform me in the review section.**

* * *

"Deku, please, _please,_ Deku, c'mon…"

As Ochako dragged herself and her semi-conscious companion down the street, desperate to find someone, _anyone_ , who would have more control of the situation than her, she felt more helpless than she'd ever felt before in her entire life.

The night sky was filled with dark clouds, so not even the light of the moon was visible. Ochako's way was lit only by dim, flickering street lights that lined the old, broken road. Her ankle was throbbing terribly, and though her head felt light, her legs were heavier than ever.

"Hang on, Deku. Just a little...just a little bit longer…" she managed to choke out, despite her own pain and exhaustion. She grit her teeth and forced her legs to keep moving. One step, two steps, three steps—one painful footfall after the other.

 _No matter how beat up I am, Deku's worse,_ she told herself firmly, if just to keep herself moving. _Deku's way, way, way worse._

Honestly, when Ochako thought about it (and she really, _really_ didn't want to think about it), it was a miracle Izuku was still even _alive_.

His eyes were shut, blood streaking down his face from a still-bleeding gash on his hairline. He was still conscious, remarkably, but only barely, and he couldn't stand on his own; Ochako had to support him entirely, his arm around her neck and her arm hooked around his waist. Even in the faint light of the streetlamps, Ochako could easily see how horribly _pale_ her friend was, and how awful he really looked. His skin was waxy and clammy; his breath rattled painfully in his chest, and Ochako knew that each shuddering exhale had the potential to be his last.

(Ochako really, really, _really_ didn't want to think about _that_ , either.)

Hot, wet _something_ seeped into Ochako's torn, tattered clothing, and she was reminded yet again that Izuku's head wound was the least of their worries. Of course, compared to any other kind of injury, the head wound would have easily been the most serious.

But not in _this_ case. Not by a long shot.

Because Izuku had been flat-out _impaled_ by that hideous villain, straight through his stomach.

Ochako swallowed thickly against the bile that rose in her throat at the thought and shook her head vigorously.

 _No, now's not the time to think about that. I have to…_

 _...I have to get Deku somewhere safe..._

She pulled him closer, holding him against her side and kept on moving, dragging herself and her precious, precious friend through the abandoned street, back to the U.A.

Her stomach was still churning from overuse of her Quirk.

Her legs were still uncharacteristically heavy.

Every step she took was harder than the last.

But nonetheless. she refused to give up.

After all, when they were cornered in the alley by the villain, it had been Izuku to stand his ground. Shy, timid, but oh so brave _Izuku_ , the sweet, precious fanboy who came dead last in the U.A. initiation test. He'd held his ground and fought alongside Ochako against the horrendous villain.

Izuku hadn't given up. Not once.

And anyways, it was Ochako's fault in the first place. In reality, it shouldn't have been Izuku who'd ended up hurt like this.

No. It was _supposed_ to be Ochako, but because Izuku was such a...such a...such a _stupid, selfless, caring, dumb idiot_ , he just _had_ to jump in there, right when the villain's weapon (a gleaming, terrifying long sword) was poised to strike Ochako's heart.

He just _had_ to take the blow for himself.

Ochako stumbled over a crack in the old street, and she heard Izuku inhale sharply in pain. Ochako grimaced and whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," to her nearly unconscious friend. He didn't respond, and she hadn't been expecting him to.

She paused a moment to let him breathe (and to catch her breath, too), then kept moving. They had no time to spare.

The makeshift bandages Ochako fashioned from the torn hem of her skirt weren't doing their job anymore, and she heard quiet drips,almost like rain, as Izuku's blood sprinkled the dark street. She felt all the sicker because of it, but refused to let it overcome her.

She didn't have time.

( _Izuku_ didn't have time.)

"U-Urarak-ka…"

It was just one word. One single, solitary word, but it still fired a dozen icy arrows straight into Ochako's heart.

His voice. His freaking _voice_. It cracked in about a million different places, and it shook almost pathetically, giving away just how _scared_ he was, and just how much _pain_ he was in. Ochako's heart clenched for the upteenth time, and she blinked back tears, refusing to cry for Izuku's sake (although she knew she wouldn't be able to keep it up for much longer).

"...It's okay, Deku, you don't have to say anything," Ochako whispered, trying to quiet him, because she couldn't take it. She just _couldn't take it_.

Although they'd only known each other for a short time, they'd been through a _so much_ , and through it all, Ochako had never, _ever_ heard Izuku sound so _broken._

It was wrong.

 _It was. So. Wrong_.

"I-It'll be alright, Deku." She really hoped her voice didn't betray how terrified she was. She was trying to be strong for Izuku's sake alone. "It's gonna be okay. It'll be okay. We're going home now, we're going home…"

Home. _Home_. It seemed such a distant thing, and Ochako longed for it. Longed to be in a place of total safety, with her friends, her teachers, all the people she'd grown fond of, the people she'd started to see as more of a family than anything...

Izuku stumbled and pitched forward, and it took all of Ochako's strength not to trip along with him. She halted dead in her tracks, shaking him as hard as she dared.

"H-Hey, Deku, s-stay with me, okay?" Ochako said, keeping her voice as steady as possible (which was actually a lot shakier than she'd hoped). "It's going to be fine, just stay with me…"

She'd never been this blatantly _terrified_ in her entire life.

Although she didn't like fighting, or battles, or villains, she could handle it all. She could handle all that and more, and practically _anything else_ , but...

But she couldn't handle _this_. She couldn't handle this struggle, to keep herself upright and keep Izuku awake (alive, more like). This wasn't a problem that had as easy a fix as beating a couple villains in a fight. Compared to _this_ , fighting villains suddenly seemed ridiculously _easy_.

She swallowed thickly and kept moving.

Izuku was slowly getting heavier—maybe he was finally losing grips with his consciousness, or maybe Ochako was reaching her own limit—but Ochako kept moving, forcing herself on. She'd definitely messed up her ankle during the fight, and every step brought a shooting pain through her leg.

She ignored it, though. Even though it hurt, she forced herself to keep moving. She was plowing through just by sheer willpower now. She had to keep moving.

She had to keep moving.

Keep moving.

Keep moving.

Keep—

Izuku slumped against her, suddenly limp.

Sirens went off in Ochako's head, and she shifted her feet so that she didn't fall over when the rest of Izuku's body weight was added to her load.

"...Deku, h-hey, Deku…" she tried, shaking him, her voice wavering worse than ever before. He looked like he was still breathing, but his breath was nothing more than a painful, shallow rasp now.

"D-Deku!" Ochako shouted at him, shaking him once more. If he passed out now... _she didn't know if he'd ever wake up again_.

"P-Please g-get up!"

He'd lost _so much blood_ …

" _Deku, you have to get up!"_

And, _blessedly_ , Izuku opened his eyes. He stared off into space, blinking rapidly. His skin was even whiter than before, and his bangs were matted to his forehead with blood and sweat. "...U-Uraraka…" he choked.

Ochako released the breath she didn't know she was holding, her relief so immense she could have laughed (but of course she didn't do that).

"Y-You...you scared me, D-Deku," she breathed shakily. "D-Don't do that again…"

"S-Sorry…" Izuku coughed weakly. "D-Didn't mean t-to…"

Ochako shook her head feverishly, finally managing to calm herself down now that she knew Izuku was conscious (and alive). "You don't need to apologize," Ochako told him, "I know you're tired, and you're hurt, but you have to stay with me, okay? Please."

She pulled Izuku's arm tighter around her neck, clenching her teeth and steeling her resolve. It wouldn't end here. It wouldn't. It _couldn't_. She wouldn't _allow_ it to end here. Not like this.

The blood was still dripping onto the street. It was horrifying, how much of the stuff Izuku had lost thus far. It was a miracle he was conscious, or even still _alive_ for that matter, and Ochako's panic was steadily growing once again.

 _I need to get him somewhere before he bleeds out,_ she thought frantically. _The U.A., a doctor, even someone's_ house _, I just need to get off the street!_

But there was no one around. Overall, this was a pretty abandoned part of the city, and she had somehow ended up taking the back way to the U.A., where there were the least amount of civilians and buildings. And besides, Izuku needed _help—_ professional, miracle-working _help_ , and that kind of help could only be given by the U.A.'s very own specialized healer, Recovery Girl.

There was no help for Izuku—no help at all—until they reached the U.A.

And at this rate, if things kept going like this…

Izuku coughed, harshly and raggedly, and blood dripped down his chin.

... _He's not going to make it all the way._

As soon as the thought entered her mind, Ochako shook her head, very angry with herself.

 _No. I can't think that way. I can't. Not now. Not..._

 _...Not when this situation is already as bad as it gets..._

Since her emotions were all over the place, she shifted to the logical, problem-solving part of her mind. She had to rewrap his wound. That was the only option. Yeah, she'd rewrap it, and they'd get to the U.A., and Izuku would be safe, and Recovery Girl would heal him, and he would be fine, he would be fine, he _had_ to be fine...

Ochako stumbled towards the nearest streetlamp and carefully—ever so carefully—slipped Izuku's arm from around her neck and knelt down, leaning him against the lamp post. In the dim, flickering light, Izuku looked even worse—or maybe that was just his condition deteriorating even further. He didn't even bother keeping his eyes open anymore, and though he was conscious (if you could even call the dazed, exhausted state he was in "conscious"), he was still limp.

He was fading fast, and Ochako knew it.

She knelt by her classmate's side and raised her hands, stained with dry (and fresh) blood. _Deku's blood._ She shook her head instantly, forcing her mind away from that. If she started thinking along those lines now, they'd never make it home. She had to be strong now. She had to be strong for him, if only for him, just like he would be (and was) strong for her.

Ochako carefully tore away the sodden makeshift bandages and got her first good look at Izuku's wound. Her stomach churned worse than before, and this time, bile burned the back of her throat. She felt lightheaded, like she'd faint, but she stayed conscious for one reason and one reason only.

Ochako averted her gaze and hastily began tearing long strips from her blood-splattered skirt. She had to get the wound wrapped. She had to stop the bleeding, _right now_ , before Izuku lost any more blood. She had to, she had to, she had to, she had to, _she had to, she had to_...

 _I have to, I have to, I have to._

"Deku...this...this is going to hurt," was all Ochako managed to choke out, once she thought she had enough fabric to work with. Izuku didn't even respond verbally; just gave a weak jerk of his head, which could've been a nod (Ochako just assumed it was although it really could've been anything). Ochako took a deep breath, mentally steeled herself, and began.

Her hands were remarkably steady, which surprised her. Considering the situation, it was a miracle she wasn't all over the place.

But somehow, in the back of her mind, she knew the reason why her hands were so steady, why her fingers moved as though on their own accord.

Because right now...

...She just wanted her friend to _live_. That was all that mattered. She knew this, and so did her hands, and they worked quickly and professionally to wrap her friend's grave injury.

Izuku didn't scream or shout, like Ochako was half expecting him to. Instead, his hands tightened into fists until his knuckles were white, and tears left white streaks on his dirty face. Muffled, choked sobs squeezed their way through his clenched teeth, and it took all of Ochako's willpower not to break down then and there.

The first time she'd wrapped his stomach, it'd been in a flurry of panic, and then, Izuku _had_ screamed in pain, but now that he was silent, it scared Ochako all the more, because it meant he was too weak to so much as make a sound.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, _I'm so, so sorry, Deku…"_

In the end, apologies didn't really make a difference, but she couldn't stop herself at this point. Because this was _her fault._ All her fault. Not Izuku's. Hers. _Hers_. Hers and hers alone.

In the end, she _hadn't_ been strong enough to protect her dearest friend.

By the time it was finally over—when the wound was finally wrapped and the bleeding was slowed—they were both openly sobbing, and Ochako was more exhausted than ever.

But that didn't stop her.

She stood on unsteady, shaky feet, and somehow managed to lift Izuku up with her, pulling the latter's arm around her neck and supporting the whole of his bodyweight. In any other situation, Izuku would've been easier to carry than cotton candy, but right now, Ochako felt like she was trying to lug an entire sack of rocks over her shoulder.

It would've been easier if she could've just used her Quirk to make Deku _weightless_ , but that wasn't an option. If she even so much as _tried_ to use her zero gravity at this point, she'd certainly collapse.

She'd just be digging Deku's grave.

Izuku couldn't keep his head up anymore, and Ochako's mind was starting to go blank thanks to exhaustion, pain, fear, adrenaline, and panic. Her feet moved on her own, and she felt oddly detached, like she was passenger instead of driver, her head filled with cotton.

"Hang on, Deku," she pleaded, completely and utterly _desperate_ by now. "Please, please, don't give up on me now, just...just hang in there...hang in there... _hang in there...please hang in there…"_

She wasn't sure who she was talking to anymore, herself or Izuku, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. The only thing that mattered was reaching the U.A. and getting Izuku the medical attention he so desperately needed.

"Please, please, please, please, please, please…"

She was so, so desperate.

"Stay with me, _please stay with me…"_

She could see the building now. The U.A. was merely a huge silhouette in the dark, but Ochako knew exactly what it was.

"Deku, _D-Deku_ , stay awake...it's okay, I've got you, _I've got you,_ just...just...j-just stay with me..."

And, before her clouded brain had the chance to register it, she was standing in front of the U.A.

She stared up at it as if seeing it for the first time, Izuku limp against her. Despite everything...they'd made it. Somehow, _somehow_ , they'd made it.

"D-Deku…" Ochako managed, her lips twisting into a small, exhausted, but genuine smile. "Deku, look. We're...we're home..."

She swayed, the ground swimming beneath her feet, and she barely managed to lower Izuku to the ground before she collapsed, right beside him. She was just so _exhausted;_ if she took another step, she knew she'd pass out instantly. Her ankle was throbbing terribly, as was her head, and she still felt nauseous and dizzy, but...

...But in the end, though, she'd done it. She'd gotten herself and Izuku back to the U.A. Now Izuku could get help, and medical attention, and—

"D-Deku...Deku...?"

Ochako lifted her head to look at her friend, and all at once, her heart skipped a beat, and her blood ran cold.

Izuku wasn't breathing.

Ochako's panic returned in a flash, and she shot upright, reaching over and shaking Izuku's shoulder harshly. Probably too harshly, actually. Harshly enough to leave a bruise. Not that it mattered.

Because he wasn't breathing anymore.

 _Izuku wasn't breathing anymore._

"D-Deku, w-wait, I…" she stuttered. Her brain was already foggy enough; she couldn't comprehend this.

 _No, I...I got him home. He...he can't…_

 _No, he can't...he can't be...he's not…_

"...D-Deku... _Deku..._ DEKU!"

The reality of the situation set in all at once, and Ochako screamed. She completely _lost it_.

 _"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"_ she screeched as loudly as she possibly could, tears streaming down her face as her hands shook the cold, unmoving body of her friend back and forth.

(She'd never felt so scared before in her life.)

 _"I NEED HELP! SOMEBODY! HELP ME! PLEASE! S-SOMEBODY!"_ Her screams ripped her throat to shreds.

(She'd never felt so helpless before in her life.)

 _"DEKU! DEKU, NO! TALK TO ME! DEKU! DEKU, NO!_ _IZUKU!"_ She shook him again. Her heartrate skyrocketed; her lungs worked over time; her breath came in great, heaving gasps.

(She'd never felt this much pain before in her life.)

 _"I NEED HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME! IT'S MY FRIEND, IT'S DEKU, HE'S...HE NEEDS HELP!"_

 _Someone...please!_

 _...Help him!_

And then, all at once and all too suddenly, it seemed everybody at the U.A. was there. She heard voices, and shouts, of people she knew well and people she was barely acquainted with, but all she cared about was Deku. All that mattered was Deku, cold and still and _definitely_ _not breathing—_

 _"DEKU! DEKU! PLEASE GET UP! GET UP, DEKU! GET UP RIGHT NOW!"_ she screeched, shaking Deku back and forth, back and forth, and then back and forth once again, because she didn't know what to do and she was so _scared_ and everything was spinning and her thoughts were clouding over and she couldn't _think_ and she couldn't _move_ and she suddenly couldn't _breathe—_

Someone grabbed her shoulder, tried pulling her away, but Ochako fought back, wrenching from their grip. As if they'd be able to drag her away from Deku now. _As if_. Ochako had gotten this far and she wasn't going to give up now.

Besides, he...

...He wasn't breathing anymore. Her friend, her closest, _best friend_ , wasn't breathing anymore.

 _No...no, no, no, no, no...please...don't...don't let...don't let it end like this..._

"Uraraka! Uraraka!" Someone had their hands on her shoulders, and she knew she recognized the voice, but she just couldn't place _who_ it was at the moment. "Calm down!"

Ochako wanted to scream—no, wait, she was _already_ doing that, loud and long. It grated her throat and made her lungs ache, but she couldn't help it. She was just...just...

Just so _terrified…_

She raised her head slowly. Everything was blurry and swirled together, like she was on a merry-go-round that was spinning too fast. She saw a group of people gathered around Deku, but that was all she could make out.

"Uraraka, calm down." The person holding her shoulders—probably a teacher, she decided—was still talking to her, but she didn't care. All she cared about, all that mattered…

...Was Deku.

 _Stop worrying about me,_ she wanted to say so badly. The edges of her vision turned black, and her eyelids felt too heavy. _Don't...don't think about me..._

Her voice stopped working. She couldn't say anything.

 _Deku's...he's not..._

 _...He's not breathing anymore..._

"Uraraka, calm down, calm down, calm down…"

 _...Please...help him..._

 _...Just help him..._

Her vision swam, and dark spots danced before her eyes. Everything she heard sounded like it was spoken through water, and a numbness overcame her. She couldn't move.

"Deku...D-Deku…" she managed to choke, the world darkening around her.

"Uraraka, calm down, it's alright…"

"Deku...Deku... _Deku…_ "

"We've got him, we've got Izuku. He's going to be okay."

"I'm sorry... _I'm so sorry_ , Deku…"

"Uraraka... _Uraraka!"_

The world was pulled out from under her, and Ochako plunged head-first into unconsciousness.

...

" _Deku!"_

Ochako shot upright with the exclamation, her breathing all over the place and her head pounding. Her leg—the one she'd messed up in the fight—was throbbing something awful, not that she really cared about that.

She looked around wildly. White walls, white ceiling, white beds in rows...it took her only three seconds total to recognize her surroundings. The infirmary of the U.A. She was on one of the beds, her leg and head both wrapped tightly with gauze.

 _Where's Deku?_

Her mind instantly moved to her classmate, and she looked around once more—and then, all her worries were suddenly gone.

Izuku was lying on the bed just beside Ochako's own, unconscious but thankfully— _blessedly—_ breathing. There was an oxygen mask over his face, and an IV needle pricked into one wrist, a blood transfusion in the other. Gauze was wound around his head, and the more serious wound was hidden by a blanket, but Ochako assumed that it was wrapped as well.

She fell against the pillows again, feeling weak with relief. Deku was alright. He was breathing now, and though he looked awful, he was definitely better than before.

They were safe. They were _home_.

Ochako surveyed the room once more, though with far less urgency. No one else was around, not even Recovery Girl, which surprised her until she remembered the peril some of the training sessions put the other students in. After that, her surprise diminished considerably.

"Uraraka…"

She turned towards the only other person in the room, a little startled at first. Izuku was (somehow) awake, looking dazedly at her with half-closed, glassy eyes. But, through the exhaustion, she saw relief embedded in his stare, and before she knew it, she found herself smiling softly.

"...Deku," she said, keeping her voice low though she didn't know why. Maybe it was because she didn't have the heart to break this newly found peace and serenity. It was such a contrast to the chaos she'd passed out to. "...How are you feeling?"

"...Tired, but...pretty okay," Izuku croaked, equally softly, and his voice cracked, but not as badly as it had before. He blinked at her, and then directed his gaze towards the roof of the infirmary. "...I...feel like I've...been in here too may times…"

Ochako cracked a genuine smile at that. He was right; Izuku had a bad habit of getting himself injured.

And then, suddenly, she frowned, a more concerned expression taking root. Though Izuku was conscious and safe and recovering _now_ , he hadn't been until recent. She glanced at his bandages, at the oxygen mask, at the blood transfusion, and the gravity of the situation finally caught up with her.

 _We could've...we almost..._

 _...Died._

The reality had never hit her harder.

She felt sick again, and something burned the back of her throat. They could have easily, _oh so easily,_ just _died_. Died, dead, murdered by some villain while Izuku was walking Ochako home from U.A.

They could've died.

 _They_ almost _died._

And out of the two of them, Deku came the closest.

"...Uraraka...you okay?"

Ochako broke away from her thoughts, instead focusing on the quiet, raspy voice of her friend. Izuku sounded so _concerned_ for her, like he always did when it came to his friends, and Ochako didn't think it was fair. It wasn't fair of him to worry when he himself went through so much. It wasn't fair to _him_.

But she shouldn't have been surprised. That was just the kind of person Izuku was, always so sweet and compassionate, never thinking about himself.

"...Yeah, I'm okay," Ochako lied. "I'm a lot better off than you, you know."

He smiled, faintly and tiredly, but honestly nonetheless.

"...And it's because of you that I am," Ochako added. "Deku…" There were so many things she wanted to say, but she couldn't find the right words.

 _"Thank you_ ," she settled for. It was small and insignificant compared to what Deku did for her. Honestly, she could _never_ thank him enough for what he did, using himself as a human shield to protect her.

"Oh...y-you're welcome," Izuku murmured, his speech slurring. "I would...do it again...in a heartbeat…"

Ochako smiled gently. "...You should try and rest," Ochako said. "I don't care how 'okay' you think you are, you were just _stabbed_." It occurred to her now that she didn't actually know how long they'd been in here. How long had they been in the infirmary? Deku was still on a blood transfusion, so it couldn't have been more than a few hours...

"'Kay," Izuku said, nodding. "And...you should, too…"

"I will." Because Deku wouldn't rest until he knew she was okay and resting, too. It was endearing, really, it was, but she wished he would think about himself sometimes, especially when it came to his own physical well-being.

Izuku shut his eyes, satisfied with her response. Ochako closed her eyes as well, but sleep didn't come as easily as she'd hoped, which was odd considering how exhausted she was. She waited a beat or two in silence, and then,

"Hey, Deku?"

Izuku cracked open one eye to look at her.

"...I'm...I'm glad you're alive," Ochako said.

Izuku blinked, and then smiled softly. "...I'm glad you're alive, too," he murmured.

Ochako smiled back at him, and then fell silent once again, letting Izuku get the rest he so desperately needed. She closed her own eyes, and this time, sleep rushed to meet her.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Izuku/Ochako is my OTP. I seriously love them.**

 **Anyways, I want to say right now that I'm not caught up with the manga; I'm watching the anime and have no idea what's going to happen next. So if any of you spoil anything for me, well...I will find you.**

 **So I was originally going to put this information in the fic itself, but I thought it might disrupt the flow, so, I mean, here's like, two things:**

 **1) After Izuku was hurt during the fight against the villain, Ochako managed to knock the villain unconscious by using the last of her Quirk strength to drop bricks on top of his head. 2) When the duo collapsed outside the U.A., All Might and the other heroes searched and found the villain. He was sentenced to life in prison and no one ever saw him again.**

 **Tbh, I've got no idea how expansive Recovery Girl's healing capabilities are so I don't actually know if healing Izuku would be** _ **possible**_ **...? I was originally planning on doing research and whatever but changed my mind to avoid possible spoilers.**

 **Anywho, thank you all for reading! :) Since it is my first fanfic in this archive, I'd love it if you all let me know what you think in the reviews! If you see any opening for improvement or have any constructive advice, I'd really appreciate it! :)**

 **Cheers!**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


	2. Chapter 2

*****WARNING*****

 **THIS CHAPTER IS JUST A BIT MORE GRAPHIC THAN THE FIRST ONE BECAUSE IT COVERS THE BATTLE SCENE, INCLUDING THE SCENE WHERE DEKU IS STABBED. I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS FAIR TO WARN ALL YOU SQUEAMISH VIEWERS AHEAD OF TIME. (CAPS LOCK IS FUN WHEN YOU'RE MAKING AN ANNOUNCMENT.) THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN CHAPTER 1! I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE STORY!**

* * *

"Thanks for walking me home, Deku."

"Oh, um, you don't have to thank me, Uraraka," Izuku said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "It's just, it's late, and this city isn't exactly the safest place ever..."

Ochako smiled. His concern for her was always touching.

The duo was walking down the sidewalk, taking the back road to Ochako's family home after a day of school at the U.A. They were still in their school uniforms, with their backpacks over their shoulders.

"It's pretty cloudy tonight, don't you think?" Ochako observed, putting out her hand. "I wonder if it's gonna rain."

Izuku looked up at the sky, and then back at the ground. "Maybe," he said. "But hopefully we can make it home before that happens."

Ochako nodded. They were passing a couple of run-down buildings with dark alleys nestled between them, and Ochako was thinking about what she'd do differently during training tomorrow at school, when—

"Uraraka! Watch out!"

Izuku dove suddenly, collided with her, and the two hit the ground. Almost immediately, a long, silver _something_ swooped over their heads, missing them by mere inches.

It took Ochako a total of two seconds before she realized it was a sword. A long, silver, _real sword_ , like something out of a fantasy book. Ochako knew that, if Izuku hadn't noticed, it would have taken their heads clean off.

"My, my, what trooooublesome little braaaaats…"

It was a hollow and sing-song voice, carrying through the chilly night air and sending an icy shiver down Ochako's spine. The voice echoed in the alley and resounded through her head far after the speaker's voice faded. She and Izuku got to their feet again, more on-guard than ever before in their lives.

Then, the villain stepped into the streetlight.

It was a man, tall and lanky with black hair, thin skin as white as death itself, and gleaming, red eyes. He was dressed in a solid black, fine-looking business suit and had a sword in one bony, pale hand; his other hand was empty, but deformed, like it'd been crushed and healed wrong somewhere along the line.

"A villain." Ochako said it, even though it was obvious. Izuku nodded, though, in further confirmation. Ochako noticed him shift his feet into a stance she saw him take up often: a combat stance.

The villain tilted his head sideways, a curtain of greasy black hair obscuring the left half of his pale, drawn face. Every bone in his body was very prominent, almost like he was a walking corpse that'd already been dead for weeks. Even his voice sounded empty and inhuman.

"Victims that fight back…" the man drawled in that same hollow, dead but eerily sing-song tone, "have to be the _woooorst_ and most _anoooying_ of them all…"

And suddenly, his arm extended until it was five times its usual length, and Izuku and Ochako were ducking beneath his sword again.

 _Does he have an elastic body? Is that his Quirk?_ Ochako's mind was reeling, searching frantically for answers. _Judging by the look on his face, that's probably what Deku's thinking, too…_

The man's arm retracted once again, and Ochako was hit by the sudden realization that running wasn't an option. If the man really _did_ have an elastic body, with an elastic sword-arm, then turning their back on him for an instant would be fatal.

Which left only one alternative.

Izuku put up his hands and shifted his weight, biting his lip. Ochako's knees were knocking together, but she, too, prepared herself, mentally and physically.

There were going to fight. And if they didn't win, it meant death.

"You think you can beat meeeeee?" the villain sang softly, taking a step forward on his long, bony legs; Ochako and Izuku, in turn, took a step backwards. "Children from the U.A. really _are_ troooooublesome…"

Izuku pulled back his fist, but the villain met them head-on before he had the chance to actually do anything.

His sword went towards them, and Ochako and Izuku dove in opposite directions. All the while, Ochako's mind was spinning. They were heroes. In training, granted, but heroes nonetheless. They'd fought against an abundance of villains, most much scarier than this one, at the battle of the USJ.

They could take him.

The villain swung both arms at once; the sword arm towards Ochako and the deformed arm towards Izuku. Ochako ducked and put her hands in front of her face; the sword met resistance in the alley wall, and a half a dozen bricks tumbled to the floor, one of which landed promptly on Ochako's ankle.

Something twisted and snapped, and she shrieked in pain.

"Uraraka!"

Oh, that was Izuku. Ochako pushed herself up, trying to ignore the pain though it was easily overcoming the rest of her senses. Once she was on her knees, she shoved the brick off her foot and looked up. She couldn't see anything; there was a very fine screen of dust from where the building had been damaged, and her eyes were stinging.

 _Deku, Deku, where's Deku...wait, where's the villain? The villain, the villain, where's the villain—_

"Say good _byeeeee_ , troublesome hero…"

And suddenly the villain was right in her face, and his sword arm was pulled back, poised to strike.

Ochako's mind went blank as she stared into this monster's cold, dead eyes. For a brief moment—and only for a brief moment—she wondered _why_. She didn't understand how someone with power would use it like _this_ , to kill instead of to protect…

The world faded around her, and her line of sight gradually narrowed until all she could see was this monster and his deadly weapon.

 _Is this…_

 _...How I die?_

The sword came at her, and she shut her eyes, bracing herself for the feeling of metal in her flesh.

But it never came.

A sickening sound; a splatter of something warm on her cheek; a sudden inhale of breath.

And she opened her eyes.

There was Izuku, standing just in front of where she was crouching, the silver, bloody blade of the villain protruding from his back.

Ochako's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes went wide, wider than they'd ever gone in her life, and horror—pure, unbridled _horror_ —completely overcame her.

" _DEKU!"_ It was more of a guttural scream than actual word. The villain retracted his blade, and Izuku hit the ground like a stone.

Ochako was frozen in place, her breath coming in great, heaving gasps—and then, before she was aware of what was happening, she'd scrambled to Izuku's side and grabbed his shoulder.

"D-Deku," she said desperately; he was lying on his side, but she didn't dare move him. "Deku, n-no, _Deku..._ "

She didn't know what to say, let alone _do_. Her tongue felt too thick for her mouth, and she was numb with the mere terror of this situation. Izuku's eyes were squeezed shut, and he gasped in sharp, shaky breaths from between gritted teeth. Blood pooled beneath him; Ochako felt it, hot and sticky on her knees.

And she was suddenly very, very scared.

More scared than she'd ever been in her life, and she'd been through a lot of scary stuff.

This was scarier than the battle of the USJ. Much, much, _much scarier_.

"Oh, I believe I understand it nooooow," the villain droned; Ochako ignored him, her hands grasping Izuku's shoulder tightly. "Your friend...he's the sacrificial type, isn't heeee? What a waaaaaste…"

"Deku, _D-Deku_ , please, please talk to me…"

And when he didn't— _couldn't_ —Ochako began to sob.

"Don't worry about your ffrieeeend," the villain sang softly— _inhumanely_. "His pain will end soooooon…"

"I-It's going to be okay, D-Deku…" Ochako said the only thing she could, because _what else was she supposed to do?_ The villain wasn't coming at her anymore; instead, he simply stood back, almost like…

... _Almost like he was waiting for Izuku to bleed out_.

And now that Ochako actually stopped to think about it…

 _...He was._

"U-Uraraka…"

Izuku's voice came, shakily and guttural, and he coughed wetly, adding more blood to the puddle on the ground.

"P-Please d-don't," Ochako pleaded, shaking her head feverishly. "P-Please d-don't speak, it's...it's going to be okay. I-It'll be o-okay…"

"Hmm, I wonder," the villain cocked his head to one side again, "how it feeeels to lie to your frieeeend…"

"U-Ura-raka," Deku choked again.

"S-Stop," Ochako begged. "P-Please s-stop, Deku, _sto_ —"

" _Run."_

It was a simple word, but Ochako froze immediately.

Run.

Run?

 _Run?_

"Hmm...yessss, you could do thaaaaat," the villain said, having caught Deku's one coherent word. "Taking down one U.A. student is revenge enoooough…if you ran now, girl, I'd let you goooo…"

Ochako's mind was still spinning. Run. Run. _Run._

Izuku wanted her to run. He'd already saved her life twice today, and now he was trying to set her safety in stone.

Running. Turning and running. Leaving him behind. That's what he wanted her to do, and honestly, it was terrifying how _easy_ it would have been. It was terrifying how simple turning and running was when it came down to your own life.

But...Izuku's simple word had the opposite effect on Ochako.

And suddenly, she found the strength to stand. The pain in her ankle meant nothing anymore.

For a second, she saw Izuku relax, dropping his head to the ground, ready to accept his fate.

He thought she was running.

But she wasn't.

She stepped forward and stood over him, putting herself between him and the villain. She shifted her feet, like she'd seen Deku do so many times, into a fighting stance and held out her hands.

She was shaking. Her entire body was downright trembling. She was scared. Terrified. And she wasn't afraid to admit it.

But she wasn't going to leave Izuku. The mere thought of leaving him like this was enough to light a flame within her, enough to give her strength.

The villain looked at her, shocked and confused. "What is thiiiiis?" he sang. Then, his expression morphed into something like amusement. It was sickening. "You aren't runnnning?"

"U-Uraraka…" Izuku realized in an instant that she hadn't listened to him. "W-What…" He coughed; it sounded really, really painful. "G-Get...g-get out of...of here…"

Ochako was wracked with chills, and she grit her teeth, but her mind was made.

She wasn't going anywhere.

"Stay down, Deku," Ochako said, hoping her voice didn't give away just how frightened she was. "You've saved my life plenty of times already. Now it's my turn."

The villain's amusement faltered. "Playing frieeeends is a dangerous game," he warned. "You can stillll ruuuuun…"

Ochako put up her fists. She knew it. She _knew_ she could still run, and the logical part of her mind was screeching _Go! Save yourself!_

But that wasn't an option. It'd never even _been_ an option.

"I'm not going to lie," Ochako said to the villain, swallowing thickly. "I'm scared of you. But..."

She paused, long enough to hear Izuku take in a shuddering, painful breath behind.

"...But the need to protect my friends overcomes _any_ kind of fear I would have because of you!" Ochako shouted. "I'm not afraid of you! _I'm not afraid of you!"_

Maybe she said it to convince herself. Because she _was_ scared. She _was_.

But not scared enough to back down. Not scared enough to turn tail and run. Deku was more important to her than any kind of fear.

And suddenly, she was overcome by another fear: the fear of losing Deku.

And that fear was much stronger than all others, including the fear the villain caused.

The thought of losing Deku…

It brought such utter _terror_ to Ochako's mind.

"Ah, piiiiity," the villain said, but his tone didn't back up his words. "Guess I'll be delivering _two_ dead bodies to the U.A.'s doorsteeeep…"

The villain's deformed hand suddenly popped into Ochako's mind again. So it was revenge he wanted, to strike fear into the hearts of the other students and heroes…

Ochako grit her teeth even harder.

"Oh weeeeell," said the villain. "Suppose you step back, girl, let me put the boy out of his miiiiseryyyy…" He extended his sword, just slightly, for emphasis.

Ochako stood her ground with more courage than she knew she had. "You're not touching him again," she seethed, and her voice didn't shake this time. "I don't care if you stab me a _hundred_ times, you're not touching him again."

She'd touched plenty of bricks with the intention of using her Quirk; now it was time to put them to good use.

"Oh?" the villain began curiously. "And hooooow do you plan on doing _thaaat?"_

Ochako put her fingertips together and uttered one word:

" _Release."_

The villain had just enough time to roll his head in confusion before the loose building bricks— _all_ of them—came crashing down on his head.

One by one they bounced off his skull and thudded onto the cement below. For a few moments, the villain stood, swaying slightly on his feet, his eyes wide open and his expression unreadable.

And then, his knees buckled, and he collapsed.

Out. Unconscious. Probably with a really, really, _really_ bad concussion to boot. Ochako stood there breathlessly, bile rising in her throat; her stomach churned horribly, and she thought she'd be sick.

But she wasn't.

Instead, she turned and crashed to her knees by Deku again. Right now, he was more important than any physical pain she was feeling, and that included the pain in her (probably) broken ankle, which she hadn't so much as thought about.

"Deku, Deku, we have to go," Ochako said, shaking his shoulder as hard as she dared. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off and the threat of the villain was gone, a new threat introduced itself, not for the first time:

Deku's injury. His injury was a threat far worse than the villain.

Ochako retracted her hands and tore her skirt, ripping off strips as long as possible to use for bandages. Her hands were shaking. Her knees were scraped and covered in blood (her own and Deku's). The entire _alley_ was blood-splattered, like something out of a horror movie.

Ochako sucked in a deep breath to mentally prepare herself, then grabbed Deku by the shoulders and pulled him upright.

She was careful, and she knew it would hurt him regardless of how gentle she was, but she still wasn't prepared for his reaction. He _screamed_. He flat-out _screamed_ , and Ochako's heart shattered, and the tears started again.

"I'm sorry," was all she could say, as she held him upright and tried to get the bandages around his midsection, where the damage was worst. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

 _Please forgive me._

 _Please, please, please forgive me…_

 _I'm so…_

 _...I'm so sorry…_

She wrapped it as best as she could. It was nowhere near what it needed to be, and blood already soaked the bandages, but…

...It was enough. It was enough until they got help.

Now that it was over, Ochako couldn't help it; she wrapped her arms around Izuku and pulled him closer, embracing him as tightly as she dared. For a second she considered letting go and giving him some breathing room, but then he wordlessly embraced her back, though his hold was much more limp.

Her breath hitched, and she she tried in vain to swallow the lump in her throat.

"H-H-Hey, D-Deku…"

The tears were back with vigor, and she buried her face in his matted hair to hide them.

"L-Let's go h-home, 'kay?"

…

When Ochako awoke, it was with a start, and she found herself staring upwards at the white ceiling of the U.A. infirmary.

She swallowed thickly and draped her arm over her eyes, her chin quivering.

 _That...was the_ last _thing I wanted to remember..._

She glanced over at the hospital bed beside her. Izuku was still there, sleeping soundly. He wasn't on oxygen anymore and a little color had returned to his whitewashed face, but the bandages were still very much there and necessary, and the IV drip was still there, too.

"I see you're awake."

Ochako glanced over. The official U.A. nurse Recovery Girl stared back at her. The look on her face was unreadable.

Ochako sat up and turned towards the nurse's other patient."...How is he?" Ochako asked. "How's Deku?"

"He'll be fine once he sleeps," said Recovery Girl. "I drained most his stamina fixing his insides and I put him on medication to help manage the pain, but he still couldn't sleep soundly, so I gave him a sedative to let his body could rest."

It stung at first, the knowledge that Izuku had to be literally _sedated_ in order for him to sleep without feeling the pain of his injuries, but then Ochako was relieved, relieved that Izuku _wasn't_ feeling the pain of his injuries and could get the rest he so desperately needed.

"...I don't know the extent of what happened out there," Recovery Girl said, and Ochako turned to look at her. "But I believe I know enough." The woman pulled up a stool and sat down on it with a weary sigh. "You were attacked by a villain, were you not?"

Ochako nodded at once. "We were," she said. "In the alley, on our way home...and Deku was hurt…"

Recovery Girl nodded gravely, and Ochako let her voice fade out. "You two were very brave," Recovery Girl said. "It takes a lot of courage to do what you did, and as _students_ , too…"

Ochako swallowed. A lot of unwelcome images plagued her mind; Izuku, bleeding and unconscious; Izuku, struggling for breath; Izuku, _no longer breathing_ …

"The school is very proud of you both," said Recovery Girl, hijacking Ochako's train of thought. "You and Midoriya fought bravely when you were unprepared and unarmed."

"...Deku was braver," Ochako said, her voice wavering slightly. Her hands balled into fists against the white mattress. "He...he saved me. The villain, he…" She could feel hysterics bubbling in her chest. "H-He was...he was aiming for me, but Deku…"

"You don't have to explain anything to me," said Recovery Girl, "I understand. But you mustn't be angry at yourself, Uraraka. I know for a fact that if your roles were reversed, you would have done for him exactly what he did for you."

Then, the little nurse smiled.

"...And you _did_ protect Midoriya," she said. "You brought him home, despite your own pain and fear. You protected him just as much as he protected you. You were very brave, you and Midoriya both. I'm proud of you."

Ochako swallowed. Honestly, when she'd been against the villain...she hadn't _felt_ very "brave." She'd been shaking from her head to her toes, barely able to hold up her hands. Deku had been far more brave, going so far as to tell her to _run_ and save herself when he was bleeding out, dying, at the mercy of a deadly, horrifying villain.

"Don't trouble yourself with this any longer," Recovery Girl said sternly, getting up from her chair and crossing the room towards the door. "Proud of you or not, you and Midoriya are _both_ my patients and you _both_ need to rest." She paused, just slightly, one hand outstretched towards the doorknob. "Do you need something to help you sleep, dear?" she asked Ochako softly.

Ochako shook her head. "N-No, I'll be fine," she said, and she hoped she wasn't lying. "Thank you for everything."

Recovery Girl nodded and left.

Ochako stared at the closed door for a moment or two, and then laid down again, though she doubted she'd be able to sleep again if she tried. She glanced over at Izuku (she seemed to do a lot of that lately), frowned, and then reached over.

She paused, hesitant, and then laid her hand over Izuku's. His fingers were cold, and she was reminded—horribly—of how cold his skin had felt before, when she was shaking him back and forth in front of the U.A., screaming for him to wake up.

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly to block out the images that flooded her mind's eye, but it was too late. The damage was done. Her throat burned; she felt like crying.

And then, Izuku's fingers wound themselves around hers. His grip was weak, but he'd definitely moved, and Ochako looked up suddenly, startled.

"Deku?"

But he was still out of it. Completely and totally out of it. It'd been a subconscious move for him, grasping her hand, but for some reason it felt so much more than that.

Ochako suddenly felt a lot better, and she squeezed his cold fingers and smiled softly.

That was how Recovery Girl found them hours later when she came to change Izuku's IV: sleeping soundly, their fingers entwined.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Before you guys run off, DO ANY OF YOU HAVE ONE-SHOT DEKU!WHUMP SUGGESTIONS?**

 **I don't think I can commit myself to a multi-chapter story just yet, but I'm a sucker for whumping characters (as I've said before), so any Deku!Whump suggestions would be greatly appreciated. It's obvious that I ship Izuku and Ochako, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't request any other pairings. I mean, I don't mind them; I just won't write them.**

 **SO GIMME YOUR DEKU!WHUMP SUGGESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY. I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE. LAY 'EM ON ME. BUT NO MANGA SPOILERS OR I WILL DESTROY YOU.**

 **On another note: honestly a lot of you guys left so many encouraging reviews and I loved you all, but the one that really inspired me to write a second part to this was Theblueswordsman, so you can thank said user for getting a second part. *points* Your review totally inspired me, so thank you! :D**

 **There is a chance I may do a third part of this from Deku's POV, but that's only if enough people want to continue reading the story.**

 **On another note, I'm probably going to take a break from writing throughout the month of June just because of some personal health issues (I have migraines really bad at least four times a week) but I'll return in July.**

 **LIKE I SAID THOUGH, I WANT YOUR DEKU!WHUMP SUGGESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY. I LIKE DRAMA. DON'T FORGET TO GIVE THEM TO ME IF YOU HAVE ANY, OKAY?**

 **BUT MY LIBRARY AND LOCAL BOOKSTORE DOESN'T HAVE THE MANGA SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE PATIENT UNTIL I READ THEM AND NOT GIVE ME ANY SPOILERS FOR THE MANGA UNTIL THEN OKAY!?**

 **Anyways, that's all! :) Let me know if you want a third part to this in Deku's POV, and give me any suggestions you may have for Deku!Whump one-shots! :D Thanks so much! I love you all!**

 **Cheers!**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


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